ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. squash — to crush
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rule — government
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a document
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. squash — the sport
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. current — of water
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rash — a series
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. file — a tool
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com